diff --git a/core/templates/cowdata.h b/core/templates/cowdata.h
index dbbb1e6b540f..4261d8cf01d5 100644
--- a/core/templates/cowdata.h
+++ b/core/templates/cowdata.h
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class CowData {
 	void _unref();
 	void _ref(const CowData *p_from);
 	void _ref(const CowData &p_from);
-	USize _copy_on_write();
+	Error _copy_on_write();
 	Error _realloc(Size p_alloc_size);
 
 public:
@@ -288,43 +288,43 @@ void CowData<T>::_unref() {
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-typename CowData<T>::USize CowData<T>::_copy_on_write() {
+Error CowData<T>::_copy_on_write() {
 	if (!_ptr) {
-		return 0;
+		return OK;
 	}
 
 	SafeNumeric<USize> *refc = _get_refcount();
 
-	USize rc = refc->get();
-	if (unlikely(rc > 1)) {
-		/* in use by more than me */
-		USize current_size = *_get_size();
+	if (likely(refc->get() <= 1)) {
+		return OK;
+	}
 
-		uint8_t *mem_new = (uint8_t *)Memory::alloc_static(_get_alloc_size(current_size) + DATA_OFFSET, false);
-		ERR_FAIL_NULL_V(mem_new, 0);
+	// There are other references to the data, so we need to fork.
+	USize current_size = *_get_size();
 
-		SafeNumeric<USize> *_refc_ptr = _get_refcount_ptr(mem_new);
-		USize *_size_ptr = _get_size_ptr(mem_new);
-		T *_data_ptr = _get_data_ptr(mem_new);
+	uint8_t *mem_new = (uint8_t *)Memory::alloc_static(_get_alloc_size(current_size) + DATA_OFFSET, false);
+	ERR_FAIL_NULL_V(mem_new, ERR_OUT_OF_MEMORY);
 
-		new (_refc_ptr) SafeNumeric<USize>(1); //refcount
-		*(_size_ptr) = current_size; //size
+	SafeNumeric<USize> *_refc_ptr = _get_refcount_ptr(mem_new);
+	USize *_size_ptr = _get_size_ptr(mem_new);
+	T *_data_ptr = _get_data_ptr(mem_new);
 
-		// initialize new elements
-		if constexpr (std::is_trivially_copyable_v<T>) {
-			memcpy((uint8_t *)_data_ptr, _ptr, current_size * sizeof(T));
-		} else {
-			for (USize i = 0; i < current_size; i++) {
-				memnew_placement(&_data_ptr[i], T(_ptr[i]));
-			}
+	new (_refc_ptr) SafeNumeric<USize>(1);
+	*(_size_ptr) = current_size;
+
+	// Copy over the elements.
+	if constexpr (std::is_trivially_copyable_v<T>) {
+		memcpy((uint8_t *)_data_ptr, _ptr, current_size * sizeof(T));
+	} else {
+		for (USize i = 0; i < current_size; i++) {
+			memnew_placement(&_data_ptr[i], T(_ptr[i]));
 		}
+	}
 
-		_unref();
-		_ptr = _data_ptr;
+	_unref();
+	_ptr = _data_ptr;
 
-		rc = 1;
-	}
-	return rc;
+	return OK;
 }
 
 template <typename T>
@@ -346,7 +346,10 @@ Error CowData<T>::resize(Size p_size) {
 	}
 
 	// possibly changing size, copy on write
-	_copy_on_write();
+	Error error = _copy_on_write();
+	if (error) {
+		return error;
+	}
 
 	USize current_alloc_size = _get_alloc_size(current_size);
 	USize alloc_size;
@@ -369,7 +372,7 @@ Error CowData<T>::resize(Size p_size) {
 				_ptr = _data_ptr;
 
 			} else {
-				const Error error = _realloc(alloc_size);
+				error = _realloc(alloc_size);
 				if (error) {
 					return error;
 				}
@@ -398,7 +401,7 @@ Error CowData<T>::resize(Size p_size) {
 		}
 
 		if (alloc_size != current_alloc_size) {
-			const Error error = _realloc(alloc_size);
+			error = _realloc(alloc_size);
 			if (error) {
 				return error;
 			}